


tsunagari : connection

by iamyourmagician



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Childhood Friends AU, Fluff, Kisses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22054162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamyourmagician/pseuds/iamyourmagician
Summary: closer to me, closer, closer. until our lips touch.you made the promise, so let me fulfill it.
Relationships: Edo Phoenix | Aster Phoenix/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	tsunagari : connection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [managician](https://archiveofourown.org/users/managician/gifts).



every time edo came over to judai’s, he felt somewhat refreshed. like he could take a deep breath and feel a wave washing over his body. like he was being embraced by a gentle fire. it was sweet like sugar and strawberries, it was comforting like home. it wasn’t even where he lived, but it always felt like it was.

edo had a big house with lots of rooms. his dad worked hard, after all, making cards. it made them lots of money. it took a bit of energy to move from place to place — up the stairs, down the stairs, and up the stairs again — and finding things was a nightmare. he loved his house and its elegance, but he loved walking into judai’s even more. it was minimalistic and easy on the eyes. nothing was shining or sticking out. it was just… simple. inhaaale, exhaaale. it felt good.

it had a particular scent, and judai carried it with him everywhere he went. the pair seldom met anywhere but here, but the few times they had seen each other in a park, their heads barely past their parents’ waists, edo could smell the warmth of judai’s home. and sometimes judai let edo fall into his shoulder and close his eyes, so he could calm down and take in that scent after whatever stressful thing had befallen him. 

even now, he found himself sinking into how little there was here. there were small rooms with almost nothing on the walls, windows letting the bright afternoon sunshine in. the dust of the house floated through the air, and the light shone on it and made it look beautiful. they fluttered down slowly, like a very gentle snowfall.

despite the pair’s youth, there were no adults here.

judai’s parents were never around, so he filled his life with other people. he called them “brother” and “sister” in place of any blood-related siblings. edo never liked that title, though. so judai immediately took to calling edo by his name.

…and he liked that.

he liked hearing judai’s voice, shouting out “edo!” whenever he came to the door. and he liked how he said it so kindly. his voice was warm and energetic, never with a drip of malice or bad intention. judai never had a reason to be upset. if he lost, then he’d shout out “awwww!!” and take his deck out and scrutinize it for the next hour. his voice was the ray of light that cut the night apart, and he was the shining sun that broke the dawn.

“hey, edo? i wanna ask you something!”

the pair sat in silence, decks spread out across the floor. this was the usual for them. they bonded over their similar tastes in monsters, and helped each other build powerful decks. then they fought, over and over, constantly developing new strategies and new ways to play.

 _if i added this continuous spell… ah, but is there space in my deck for it?_ “yeah? what’s up?”

“have you ever heard of a new year’s kiss?”

 _then, if i use a monster effect instead of a trap card…_ “what’s that?”

“when the new year comes, you’re supposed to kiss the person you love, and it brings you good luck for the whole year,” judai said absentmindedly. he was still focused on his deck as well.

that was unusual. when judai was wholeheartedly engaged in something, he never wanted any distractions. edo wasn’t quite the same, but he enjoyed how quiet things were. it let him focus and think clearly. but for the first time in forever, judai’s words had cut off edo’s train of thought.

“really…”

edo looked up at judai, noticing that judai wasn’t staring at his deck anymore. now he was looking at the ceiling, then at the clock on the wall. it was dead silent in this house, but if you listened very carefully, you could hear the clock shyly ticking along. both of them had learned how to tune it out after spending so much time in front of it.

…edo was suddenly focused on the _tick-tick-tick._ he didn’t even bother to check the time. “does your dad want you to go home?” judai asked.

edo hesitated at these words, only mustering a nod in reply. judai said them with no particular expression in his voice, and edo, as always, wondered if the topic was rough for him. edo had only asked about judai’s family once, and after that, he’d been too scared to say another word.

_”this is where i live.”_

_edo looked around in silence. it was a cozy space. small. different from what he was used to. but then again, edo’s dad made a lot of money. so it was natural that judai wouldn’t have a house so big._

_the only thing he found off-putting about it was how nobody shouted out “welcome back home!” or how nobody came to the door to greet them. it was quiet. was anyone here at all?_

_“where’s your mom and dad?” edo said, eyes still wandering._

_“…they’re not around much,” judai replied softly._

even now, edo looked at judai, and felt terrible. when edo had first started coming over, he felt bad about intruding so much. was it troublesome that he stayed for hours on end? immediately after breakfast, rushing over and knocking on the door, staying until the sun faded from the sky? but then, he thought about how judai was all alone. and he was the type that needed to be around other people to keep himself going. so he gently extended a question. “hey, do you wanna come to my house?”

and despite all that thinking, there was an immediate response. “i can’t leave…”

“ah…”

the silence between them had grown uncomfortable. edo shifted his weight, his gaze fixed on the floor.

“hey, edo! before you leave, i wanna ask you something.”

“hm?”

“when we become adults, and i don’t have to stay here anymore, let’s have a new year’s kiss!”

“w-what?!”

edo had only really been half listening when judai was explaining. and now… wasn’t a kiss something that… adults did? wasn’t it romantic or something? it showed that… they loved one another…

…hm. well. he felt heat rising in his face. was he about to cry? or was he just blushing? he couldn’t really tell…

he couldn’t… tell judai… about how he felt…

ah, but judai was the one asking!! regardless of how edo felt about it, it seemed like judai wanted to! if he said “no,” then judai would probably be sad… so it was okay to say yes, right…?

“a new year’s kiss? you know, i explained it to you earlier?”

“y-yeah! sure, let’s do it someday!”

“yay!! see you later, then!”

after edo had stood up from the _genkan_ floor, shoes on and ready to go, the pair parted ways. a new promise was now tying them together.

so when judai found himself waiting in the _genkan_ for hours on end, watching the sun rise higher in the sky, staring at the wall and waiting for someone to knock, he thought about the promise he’d made with edo. 

edo was a really kind person. he smiled a lot, and almost always seemed happy. whenever they dueled, he was always giving him advice on better moves to play, how to skillfully set down cards, and showing him how to utilize monster effects. he was so knowledgeable on the subject, and judai always found himself amazed by his skills.

even when they weren’t playing duel monsters, the time they spent together was always fun. hide and seek, for example. they’d rush around the small house, searching for the smallest clue that something was different. _maybe he’s there? or over there?!_ and when they finally saw each other, big smiles were spread across both of their faces. sometimes, judai wanted to hug him, as a surprise, but he never let himself act on it.

or they’d play memory games. one of them would do a dance, and the other had to perfectly mirror it. or they’d play reflex games, where you had to react really quickly or you’d lose. there were so many ways they spent their time together. 

but judai couldn’t do it alone. or even with other people who came by. it had to be with edo. it had to be his smile, his voice. his shining blue eyes. 

so when edo suddenly stopped coming around, judai slowly forgot what that smile looked like. what did his voice sound like again? he had blue eyes, but… there was something about them… when he stopped seeing it, his mind suddenly went blank. he couldn’t remember a thing.

and before long, both of them had memories that needed to be suppressed. along with that pain, the happiness that they had shared faded from their hearts.

—

little did they know, they would meet again.

even if the two of them forgot their precious promise, it still tied them together. regardless of the strife, regardless of the distance between them; the red string of fate had wrapped itself around both of their pinkie fingers, and constantly kept them connected.

—

on new years, judai was used to going to a shrine and praying. he was used to putting on a bright red yukata, and seeing all of his friends dressed up similarly. usually edo would walk by his side, fingers anxiously intertwining with judai’s. so judai would squeeze right back, as if to say “it’s okay.” when the clock hit midnight on january first, they were usually in front of a shrine, watching fireworks, surrounded by countless others.

every year, judai felt a pang in his heart. he loved seeing everyone else, and he loved watching the bright fireworks illuminating the crowd of people, carving abstract shapes into the sky. everyone was smiling and happy… 

except for edo. 

his eyes would be locked on the sky, and they would glow as the colors danced across it. but he stayed so close to judai and trembled so much that it made him feel guilty.

so he decided this year would be different.

today, he had come home, prepared to throw himself on the bed and pass out for a bit. instead, he saw edo putting on his yukata, and immediately, judai rushed his hands beneath the fabric and onto edo’s skin, letting the yukata fall away from his body and to the floor.

edo nearly screamed, but judai’s laugh made him forget his anxieties. “god, it’s just you…”

“let’s spend new year’s together. just you and me.”

edo stared up at judai, not a single word escaping his lips for a moment. 

judai gently brushed edo’s hair away from his face, planting a comforting kiss to his forehead. “anything you wanna do tonight?”

“…n-not really.” edo took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. judai smiled. he read countless conflicting emotions darting across edo’s face, and he had to hold back another laugh. “if we could spend a quiet night together, i wouldn’t mind that…”

“you got it. get comfy then.” judai strolled into the closet they shared, pulling out comfortable sleepwear and stripping down to put it on.

edo, after a moment of deliberation, followed his lead. this was usually the part where the shorter one would be trembling and taking many deep breaths to prepare for the upcoming… trial? quest? of going to a new year’s festival. it wasn’t supposed to be something stressful. after all, when he looked around, everyone was smiling brightly, and laughs echoed across the sky, joining with the claps of the fireworks. all of that only made him tremble more. it made the pressure in his mind build up.

_”why aren’t you having fun?”_

_“everyone else is having the time of their life.”_

_“you should learn to maintain appearances better.”_

he could stop his hand from shaking when he was greeting young children. their minds were pure, untouched. they knew so little of the dangers and frightening things in the world. and if they did, it was all the more reason to offer them smiles. they deserved it. after all, edo had spent his whole life paying attention and giving love to people who didn’t care about him at all.

when he met judai, he wondered if it would be the same way. but then judai started saying things like “i love you, edo!” with red dusting his cheeks and a huge smile on his face. he asked questions like, “can i hold your hand? so i don’t lose you…” and “can i give you a hug? so we can warm up!” and “will you be my boyfriend? because… i want to keep being by your side, but… i want to be able to kiss you too…!”

a first date.

it had been a mess of uncomfortable silence, constant blushing, and shy words being shared between them. gentle lights tried to be conducive to a sweet and tender experience, but they couldn’t even try to act like it was working.

a first kiss.

it had been another disaster. noses bumping into each other, both of them unsure of what to do. but then they kissed again, and they had a better grasp of each other’s rhythm… they let themselves be shy, let themselves be daring. and it felt good.

a first time.

this was completely unfamiliar territory. they explored each other’s bodies — with their eyes, their hands, their lips, their tongues — shaking all the while. they laughed at each other’s mistakes, patching them up with kisses. and after that, they found themselves closer than ever.

tonight would be another “first” for them. usually, judai wouldn’t let edo stay up late working, giving him the space he needed during the day and making sure he slept as early as possible. (which was never early per se, but edo knew that if judai tried to make him sleep any earlier, he probably wouldn’t finish his necessary work…)

it was about the time that edo would fall asleep, flopping on the bed and passing out because judai made him. but today he was awake, cuddling his boyfriend instead. 

he didn’t feel tired. if nights came that he suddenly had to attend to something, he couldn’t look exhausted. since he’d slept properly the night before, he didn’t feel like he really needed sleep. especially with the tingles he was getting from judai as he played with his hair. they kept him awake and relaxed at the same time.

they ended up spending the evening laughing over nothing, and talking for hours on end. they sat together, snuggling closer and closer to each other. and while judai somewhat missed seeing everyone else and going out in a yukata, he could see edo smiling effortlessly. he wasn’t stressed. he was happy. and that was enough to make judai happy, too.

judai planted a gentle kiss on edo’s forehead.

“w-what was that…?”

“heheh. no worries.” judai pulled him a bit closer, and edo didn’t protest.

the tv was on. background noise. neither of them recognized the program. some travel show? some famous idol group was going around to various places, pointing out their charm. it had been on for awhile, and while the idols tried their best, neither edo nor judai could even feign interest in any of the places they were visiting.

a half-hour passed, and another episode came on. judai and edo, having run out of conversation topics, started mindlessly paying attention. in this episode, the idols were at a park.

“hm…?”

“what’s up, edo?”

edo sat up, bringing himself away from judai’s chest. his brow furrowed. judai sat up a bit as well, not taking his eyes off of edo. 

“i… feel like i’ve been to that park before… it looks familiar.”

“really? did you live by there or something?”

“i… think at one point i might have lived in walking distance of it.” edo read the location at the bottom of the screen, and then stared at the ceiling like he was trying to remember something. “yeah, i… hm. it’s hard to remember. i don’t remember much about when my dad was alive…”

judai was silent for a moment, watching the screen. the idols were now exploring the small park, showing new angles of it. and one of them looked too familiar. and suddenly, judai remembered something.

“y’know? i think i might have lived close to there as well…?”

“what?!”

“i mean, i couldn’t leave the house often, but… i feel like i went there once or twice…? damn, i don’t remember…”

edo gently pressed a kiss to judai’s cheek, unable to say a word. both of them felt like they were forgetting and remembering something important all at the same time.

when edo was stressed, he would rest on judai’s shoulder and take in his scent. judai smelled like outside. he smelled a bit like cinnamon. but it was a comforting scent. and judai didn’t move as edo settled there.

_”you smell like home,” edo said softly. his voice, high with youth, still sounded so gentle. his head was a bit heavy against judai’s shoulder, but the taller one didn’t mind. he let edo rest. regardless of how judai felt about never seeing his parents, he knew that edo felt stress too, and didn’t like to compare suffering._

_all he knew was that edo wasn’t happy. and he wanted to change that. so he laughed. “huh? we don’t live in the same place though, y’know? i bet your house is way nicer than mine.”_

_“it’s okay. because i… feel at home when i’m with you.”_

the two of them shot up.

memories played through their heads. memories of duel monsters, decks lying across the floor, and cries of victory and losses. memories of their similar taste in monsters that had never faded. of hide and seek, chasing each other across the house. of finding each other, and their eyes lighting up. of memory games, and reflex games. of the shining smiles of the past that had lost a bit of luster. and of the love that they’d shared for each other back then, that they’d forgotten, and suddenly remembered.

all of it came flooding back at once.

“we…”

“…”

judai smiled at his boyfriend. “we… we met each other in the past. when we were kids…”

“y-yeah.” edo was staring at the floor, red spreading across his face. “yeah, we… we played together… we were friends…”

“hey, edo. can i ask you something?”

“mmm…” edo still couldn’t bring himself to look at judai. he heard the remote clicking, and the tv shutting off. the room was suddenly dark and silent.

“what time is it?”

what… time?

edo paused for a second. the question had thrown him off guard. he looked at the digital clock across the room. 11:58pm.

it was already this close to new year’s, but edo didn’t feel tired. he felt wide-awake now, especially with all the faded memories playing through his head. 

he vaguely remembered judai. he remembered feeling guilty over asking about judai’s family. he remembered how often he would come over, since judai was never allowed to leave. when edo’s dad lost his life, his whole world was turned upside-down, and he had no time to even think about judai.

but he remembered the promise the two of them made together when they last saw each other all those years ago.

_“have you ever heard of a new year’s kiss?”_

it was an embarrassing promise. back then, and even now. they had spent a few new year’s together, but they’d never had the chance to kiss when the clock struck twelve.

_“when the new year comes, you’re supposed to kiss the person you love, and it brings you good luck for the whole year.”_

the superstition didn’t matter much to either of them. more importantly, it was a promise they had made with each other, and it had been years. now was… the time to make it happen.

_“y-yeah! sure, let’s do it someday!”_

thirty seconds until midnight.

“hey, judai…”

“yeah?”

edo still couldn’t bring himself to look judai in the eyes. “do you remember… that promise we made all those years ago?”

“yeah,” judai said softly. “i remember it.”

fifteen seconds.

“hey, let’s…”

“yeah…?”

edo put his hands on judai’s shoulders, moving himself into judai’s lap. it felt good here, resting his head against judai’s collarbone.

ten seconds.

neither of them could bring themselves to speak. so judai played with the ends of edo’s hair, and edo lifted his head in surprise.

five seconds.

“judai, i…”

“do you want to?”

he spoke about it like it was something more than a kiss. they’d kissed countless times before. but something about this one felt different. like it was supposed to be done a certain way.

edo lifted his head, and parted his lips.

three.

he pulled judai closer.

two.

judai’s eyes were widening. was he not expecting this? ahaha.

one.

happy new year’s.

…

judai initiated the promise, but edo initiated the kiss. usually his kisses were rough, and drew judai in immediately. this time, it was soft and tender, like it was trying to protect something. it was gentle, and judai’s eyes settled closed.

they drew each other closer, edo’s skin cold against judai’s warmth. arms wrapped around each other’s bodies, closer, closer still…

in each touch, there was another memory. all the feelings they had for each other back then were resurfacing. like how judai wished he could have hugged edo after finding him in hide-and-seek. now, judai could wrap his arms around edo, freely expressing his love, and edo didn’t mind at all. the clock, shyly tick-tick-ticking away on the wall. it created a rhythm, and the two of them aligned with its clumsy but nostalgic tempo.

it felt good. his chest was overflowing with a strange feeling. but it felt so good, judai almost felt like crying.

edo had changed a lot over the years. which was understandable… anyone would. his eyes didn’t shine quite so brightly, he obviously wasn’t so playful. 

but there were things that stayed the same as well. things like how edo tried to see judai as often as possible, and take the loneliness out of his life. even now, with a busy pro league schedule, the two of them always had time to be together, and judai never felt like he wasn’t loved. he knew that the second his boyfriend was finished with his work, he would make an effort to see him.

edo broke off, breathless.

“a new year’s… kiss…”

judai gently wrapped his arms around edo’s torso, pulling him in for a hug. “it took us awhile, but we fulfilled that promise, huh…?”

“yeah… we did.” edo felt judai press a kiss to his head, and he sighed away any remaining tension in his body. “it felt good… i’m glad we stayed in this year…”

“i am too… i’m glad i could be with you.”

and the two of them shared a look, before judai leaned in and they shared another gentle kiss.

“hey, edo?” judai let him settle further into his collarbone. he felt comfortable there, right? there was something else that had stayed the same.

“yeah?”

“i love you.”

edo laughed brightly. 

outside the window, there was a dark sky. the stars were shining tonight. maybe there were people cheering, and there were friends lighting fireworks. but here, there was quiet. there was peace. there was a comforting darkness. it was midnight, but it felt like the sun was rising on a new dawn.

“i love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> happy new year’s!! me and my gf (@managician) did a writing exchange— writing each other’s favorite rarepairs!! she wrote me superiorshipping (edo/johan! i’ll make my own food someday) and ofc i has to do heroshipping,, they’re my two faves and they’re so soft i love writing them
> 
> sora said she would be passed out when the clock strikes twelve so i’m uploading it now hskfhwkf i hope you enjoyed it!! along with all the little drabbles i write you all the time,, ówò
> 
> happy new year everyone! let’s make 2020 amazing♡ feel free to leave a comment, i always reply! or feel free to talk to me on twt @aidshipping, im still a cardgame hoe LMAO


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